Linda Carol Blankenship

Linda was born on June 13, 1946 in Decatur, Illinois to her parents, Leonard Max and Tillie Emily Steele. Linda worked for many years a Belks and at Sampson Community College in the Continuing Education Department. Linda loved to be creative, painting, teaching ceramics classes, knitting, sewing, quilting, crocheting, and playing the piano. Linda loved animals. Linda loved her family and loved to cook for them to show her love. Mom was a sweet lady making friends in the many communities in which she lived from Illinois, to New Jersey, to North Carolina. She survived many challenges in her life including the loss of her parents, as an only child, and several health challenges over the course of her life. She always found a way to laugh and smile and was humming quietly even up to a few weeks before her death. She also never lost her faith and we are thankful that she instilled this love of God in each of us. We know what one fine day we will meet her there in Heaven. We are all sure that in addition to Grandpa Max and Grandma Tillie, there will be a large group of dogs and hundreds of cats Mom cared for waiting for her in heaven along with many family and friend.

She is preceded in death by her mother and father and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Linda will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Gretchen Benkowski (formerly Gretchen Blankenship); son, Darin Blankenship; Wes Blankenship, her grandchildren, Kirsten Gray, Faith Gray, Gabriel Blankenship, Kaleigh Blankenship, and Darin Blankenship, Jr.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be donated to the Church of God of Sullivan, Illinois or to the Alzheimer’s Association. We also ask for your prayers during this time of grief. And while we rejoice that she is now with our Lord, we will miss her tremendously. We will be taking Mom home to Sullivan, Illinois where she grew up to lay in her final peace with her parents.

Fond memories and expressions of condolences can be shared below within “add a memory” for the Blankenship family.